Bassirou Diomaye Faye invites world to Dakar 2026

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has invited all UN member states to attend the opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. He issued the invitation from the United Nations on Thursday, 24 September, giving the Games a prominent place in Senegal’s international outreach.

Dakar 2026 will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, with 2,700 young athletes expected from 206 national Olympic committees. The event will be the first Olympic competition staged in Africa, marking a historic moment for Senegal and the continent’s place in the Olympic movement.

Faye said Senegal would be welcoming more than a sporting contest when it hosts the world’s young athletes. He framed the Games as a meeting point for a generation seeking cooperation rather than division, and connected that objective with the Olympic commitment to peace and shared humanity. His appeal to the international community came as he argued for dialogue, multilateral cooperation, justice and respect for human dignity in addressing global challenges.

The president called on every member country to attend the opening ceremony in Dakar on 31 October 2026. The invitation places the host nation’s preparations for the Youth Olympic Games within a broader effort to present sport as a means of bringing countries together.